Bitumen Emulsion Plants

What is a Bitumen Emulsion Plant?

Bitumen emulsions are two-phase systems of bitumen and water, two liquids that do not mix. Hot bitumen is combined in a colloid mill with a water phase containing emulsifier and acid (or alkali) at a set ratio; the bitumen is broken into micron-sized droplets that stay stably dispersed in water. A bitumen emulsion plant is the production unit that feeds bitumen and the water phase at the required ratio and carries out this process continuously and repeatably.

The Vimpo VEP Emulsion Plant is available from 2 to 20 t/h. Frequency-controlled pumps, bitumen and water-phase flowmeters and load-cell weighing systems deliver an exact mix that matches the required recipe. The multi-stage rotor-stator design and adjustable gap (0.3 – 3 mm) of the purpose-built VIMPO MultiMix™ colloid mill let you set the droplet size to the recipe. Rotor and stator discs made from material resistant to heat, acid and water keep the mill running reliably for many years.

Why Choose Vimpo Emulsion Plants?

• Experience in asphalt and bitumen processing solutions since 1997
• Vimpo equipment operating in more than 40 countries
• In-house design office in Ankara — engineering with SolidWorks and ANSYS
• Emulsion mill, bitumen pump and dosing systems manufactured in our own factory — 10,000 m² of covered production area
• Manufacturing to EN ISO 3834-2 welding quality and EN 1090-2 EXC3, CE-marked plants; ISO 9001 · ISO 14001 · ISO 45001
• Commissioning, operator training and spare parts support from Ankara, Herford (Germany) and Pune (India)

Where to Use Bitumen Emulsions?

Bitumen emulsions, also known as asphalt emulsions, are used at almost every stage of road construction and maintenance:

• Tack coat — to bond asphalt layers together
• Prime coat — on granular base before asphalt paving
• Chip seal — with chip sealing machines and computerised asphalt distributors
• Slurry seal and micro-surfacing — with micro-surfacing pavers, usually with polymer-modified emulsion
• Cold mix asphalt and storable patching material
• Cold in-place recycling (CIR) and base stabilisation
• Crack sealing, dust suppression and waterproofing

Why Use Bitumen Emulsions?

Bitumen emulsion makes bitumen workable without heating it or thinning it with solvent. While hot bitumen is applied at 150 – 180 °C, emulsion is sprayed at ambient temperature or heated to 40 – 60 °C. Once the water evaporates and the emulsion breaks, only bitumen remains.

• Energy savings: no bitumen heating on site; lower fuel consumption and less heating equipment.
• Lower emissions: the low application temperature greatly reduces bitumen fumes; unlike cut-back bitumen, no solvent (VOC) is released to the atmosphere.
• Works on damp surfaces: cationic emulsions adhere well to damp and siliceous aggregate, extending the paving season.
• Safety: the burn and fire risks of working with hot bitumen are largely eliminated.
• Flexible logistics: stored and transported at low temperature; can be used on remote sites without heating infrastructure.
• Resource efficiency: coats aggregate with a thin binder film; in cold recycling, existing asphalt is reused.
• Performance: polymer (latex) modified emulsions give durable surfaces even on high-traffic roads.

For more detail, read our article What is Bitumen Emulsion?

Technical Overview of Bitumen Emulsion Plants

The Vimpo Emulsion Plant is a compact production solution designed by Vimpo engineering and built in our Ankara factory, available from 2 to 20 t/h. From the mill to the pumps, from the dosing system to the automation, every component serves one goal: the same emulsion quality in every production run.

VIMPO MultiMix™ Colloid Mill

The heart of the plant, the MultiMix™ colloid mill designed and built by Vimpo, breaks bitumen into fine, uniform droplets with its multi-stage rotor-stator design, producing stable emulsions with long storage life, including polymer-modified recipes.

Precise Ratio Control

Bitumen and the water phase are dosed by frequency-controlled pumps and flowmeters, acid and emulsifier by load-cell weighing; the ratio is held automatically throughout production for the same quality in every batch.

Smart Automation

With a touchscreen Siemens PLC, recipes are selected with one touch, temperatures are controlled automatically and every production run is reported.

Durability

Stainless steel and HDPE for parts in contact with acidic solution, wear-resistant mill materials and EN ISO 3834-2 welding quality ensure many years of uninterrupted operation.

Safe Operation

Closed chemical dosing, PT100 temperature monitoring, emergency stop and alarm systems for safe operation; ATEX-compliant equipment is available on CE-marked plants for cut-back production.

Flexible Heating

VEP-T for sites with a thermal oil system, electrically heated VEP-E for sites that need a stand-alone plant; the same mill and the same quality in both.

A Compact Bitumen Emulsion Plant

Assembled and tested in the factory, the plant ships in a 40 ft HC or Open Top (OT) container and starts production shortly after site connections are made.

VEP plants can produce cationic emulsions to EN 13808 and ASTM D2397, polymer-modified emulsions and, with the optional solvent line, cut-back products.

Optional Equipment of Bitumen Emulsion Plants

All VEP models are designed ready for optional lines that can be added when needed:

• Flux oil dosing
• Latex dosing — for polymer-modified emulsion production
• Cut-back solvent line — with ATEX-compliant equipment
• Bentonite feeder
• Integrated bitumen tank (EBT) and bitumen preparation unit
• Reinforced mill motor for high-polymer recipes
• Supraton mill
• Thermal oil heater — for VEP-T models

Types of Bitumen Emulsion Plants

• VEP 5 Bitumen Emulsion Plant
• VEP 10 Bitumen Emulsion Plant
• VEP 20 Bitumen Emulsion Plant
• VEP-E-ECO Bitumen Emulsion Plant

VEP 5, VEP 10 and VEP 20 are built with thermal oil (VEP-T) or electric (VEP-E) heating.

1. VEP 5 Bitumen Emulsion Plant

A fully automatic compact plant with 5 t/h capacity. Professional emulsion production with low investment for municipalities and regional producers.

Get a quote for VEP 5 on WhatsApp

2. VEP 10 Bitumen Emulsion Plant

A fully automatic plant with 10 t/h capacity for medium to large-scale production. A reinforced mill option is available for high-polymer recipes.

Get a quote for VEP 10 on WhatsApp

3. VEP 20 Bitumen Emulsion Plant

A 20 t/h plant designed for high-volume production. Two alternating solution tanks keep production running even while solution is being prepared.

Get a quote for VEP 20 on WhatsApp

4. VEP-E-ECO Bitumen Emulsion Plant

An entry-level, electrically heated, operator-controlled plant with 2 t/h capacity. A simple, economical solution for those starting emulsion production.

Get a quote for VEP-E-ECO on WhatsApp

Advantages of Bitumen Emulsion Plants

• Better emulsion: fine, uniform droplet structure and high storage stability.
• More precise: automatic ratio control backed by flowmeters and weighing.
• More durable: stainless steel, HDPE and wear-resistant mill materials.
• Safer: closed chemical dosing, PT100 temperature control, CE conformity.
• Easier: touchscreen, ready-made recipes, short operator training.
• Faster commissioning: factory-tested, compact design shipped in a container.
• Continuous support: commissioning, training and spare parts from Ankara, Herford and Pune.

VEP Emulsion Plants are designed for long service life, operator-friendly use and high efficiency.

Emulsion Plant Design

In the Vimpo Emulsion Plant, acid and emulsifier are dosed from IBC tanks directly into the solution (WAE) tank by load-cell weighing; this removes the intermediate bunker and gives a more compact design. A digital pH sensor continuously monitors the acidity of the solution.

The mill, pumps, solution tank, dosing units and control panel are assembled on a single steel skid and tested in the factory. Once on site, bitumen, water, power and (for VEP-T) thermal oil connections are made and the plant is ready to operate.

Bitumen Emulsion Plant References

VEP emulsion plants are used by municipalities, road contractors and international road construction companies in Turkey, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Some of our selected references:

• COLAS
• İstanbul Teknik
• Beogradput
• Maxagro
• Piatra Balast Impex
• Haliliye Municipality
• Puma Energy
• İlkadım Municipality

For our full reference list, visit our references page or contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bitumen Emulsion Plants

How to Operate a Bitumen Emulsion Plant?

Before production, water is taken into the WAE tank and heated; the mill, bitumen pump, filter and bitumen line are brought to operating temperature. Emulsifier and acid are weighed into the tank and the pH is checked. The operator selects the recipe on the touchscreen and chooses whether the emulsion goes to the storage tank or a distributor; the PLC starts the mill, then the WAE and bitumen pumps in sequence and holds the bitumen / solution ratio with flowmeters throughout production. At the end of production the pumps stop in reverse order and the mill is flushed with water. On the VEP-E-ECO the same steps are carried out manually by the operator.

How Does a Bitumen Emulsion Plant Work?

Bitumen is fed from the storage tank through a heated filter to the mill by a frequency-controlled gear pump. The bitumen feed temperature is kept in the range where its viscosity suits good dispersion in the mill; depending on the bitumen grade this is typically 130 – 150 °C. The water phase (WAE) is prepared in a separate tank: water is heated, emulsifier is added and, for cationic emulsions, the pH is adjusted with acid (typically hydrochloric acid) to around 2 – 3. Vimpo plant capacities are calculated at a WAE temperature of 40 °C.

The two phases enter the colloid mill at a constant ratio measured by flowmeters. The high shear in the narrow gap between rotor and stator breaks the bitumen into droplets of typically 1 – 10 µm. Emulsifier molecules attach to the droplet surface and give them an electrical charge; like-charged droplets repel each other and the emulsion becomes stable. Droplet size is adjusted through the mill gap, bitumen and WAE temperatures and emulsifier dosage.

The emulsion temperature at the mill outlet is determined by the bitumen and WAE temperatures and their ratio, and must be kept below about 90 °C so that the water does not boil. The emulsion is sent to a storage tank or directly to a distributor; in storage it needs low-speed agitation and protection against freezing.

Key Considerations When Selecting a Bitumen Emulsion Plant

• Capacity: determined by annual emulsion demand and daily operating hours. Vimpo states capacities for a 70% bitumen / 30% solution ratio; with lower bitumen content or colder water, capacity falls in proportion to the heating power.
• Emulsion type: cationic or anionic, rapid, medium or slow setting (EN 13808 breaking classes) and polymer-modified emulsions need different equipment. Polymer-modified emulsion requires a latex dosing line and sufficient mill power.
• Heating: VEP-T if the site has a thermal oil system, otherwise the stand-alone, electrically heated VEP-E.
• Automation: PLC recipe management, flowmeter ratio control and production reports make quality independent of the operator; for low capacity and simple operation the manual VEP-E-ECO is sufficient.
• Materials: tanks, pumps and lines in contact with acidic solution should be stainless steel or HDPE.
• Continuous production: at high capacity, two alternating WAE tanks (VEP 20) prevent production stops while solution is prepared.
• Additive flexibility: a design ready for flux, latex, cut-back solvent and bentonite lines to be added later.

How to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Bitumen Emulsion Plants

Most of the environmental benefit of emulsion comes in application: no bitumen heating on site, fewer bitumen fumes and, unlike cut-back bitumen, no solvent released to the atmosphere. On the plant side, these steps are effective:

• Good thermal insulation of the bitumen tank, lines and WAE tank to reduce heat losses.
• Choosing the electrically heated VEP-E where no fuel should be burned on site.
• Dosing acid and emulsifier from IBCs through a closed line by weighing — avoiding open handling and spills.
• Collecting mill and line flushing water for reuse in the next solution batch.
• Preventing off-spec production and waste with the right recipe and precise ratio control.

Maintenance Requirements for Trouble-Free Operation of a Bitumen Emulsion Plant

• After every production run: the mill and emulsion line are flushed with water; no emulsion or water should remain in the bitumen line.
• Daily: check and clean the bitumen filter; check bitumen, WAE and emulsion temperatures and look for leaks at pump and mill seals.
• Periodically: measure rotor-stator wear and the mill gap — as the gap grows, droplets get coarser and sieve residue rises. Calibrate the pH sensor with buffer solution, and load cells and flowmeters against reference measurements.
• Heating system: check heaters and PT100 sensors on VEP-E, and the thermal oil circuit, valves and jackets on VEP-T.
• Winter: drain WAE and water lines during long stops; freezing damages equipment and ruins emulsion.

Vimpo provides spare parts and maintenance kits for the VEP series together with after-sales service support.

What Safety Measures Should Be Taken in Operating a Bitumen Emulsion Plant?

• Hot bitumen: bitumen at 130 – 150 °C causes serious burns; wear heat-resistant gloves, a face shield and long-sleeved workwear, and insulate hot surfaces.
• Water and hot bitumen contact: water entering hot bitumen causes sudden boiling and overflow (foaming). Keep water out of the bitumen tank, drain lines after flushing and check that check valves on bitumen and water lines work.
• Chemicals: acids and amine emulsifiers are corrosive and irritant; provide chemical goggles, gloves and an eyewash station, and dose through a closed line. Keep safety data sheets (SDS) available at the plant.
• Tank gases: H₂S can accumulate in the headspace of bitumen tanks; measure gas before working at the tank manhole.
• Electrical and machine safety: keep emergency stop buttons, lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures and PLC temperature / level alarms active.
• Cut-back production: on plants with a solvent line, carry out hazardous area classification and use ATEX-certified equipment (optional ATEX flowmeter and motor).

Common Problems Encountered in Bitumen Emulsion Plant Operation

• High sieve residue / coarse particles (EN 1429): worn or too wide mill gap, low bitumen temperature or insufficient emulsifier dosage.
• Settlement in storage, low stability (EN 12847): coarse droplet distribution, wrong pH or emulsifier dosage, insufficient agitation in the storage tank.
• Out-of-spec viscosity (EN 12846): deviation in bitumen content or droplet size distribution; the ratio should be verified with the flowmeters.
• Premature breaking: wrong pH, excessive temperature or pumping the emulsion with high-shear pumps.
• Foaming and boiling: mill outlet temperature above 90 °C; adjust bitumen and WAE temperatures together.
• Ratio drift: change in bitumen viscosity, a clogged filter or a flowmeter / load cell out of calibration.

Most of these problems are prevented with the right recipe, regular calibration and by tracking the production data recorded by the PLC.

Request a Quote for a Bitumen Emulsion Plant

Let us help you choose the right VEP model for your capacity, emulsion type and heating preference. For a datasheet and price quotation for any model, contact us, write to info@vimpo.com or call +90 312 354 85 09.